From the Cell
by Sophie1989
Summary: Season 13 premier and Nick's been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. But instead of Sara, somebody else visits. Expect some Catnip :) because I need to fill to void that's appeared since Catherine left...
1. From The Cell

Sitting in a plain dark cell Nick Stokes sat stubbornly on a hard bench, his eyes closing occasionally, his mind switching off at times as the alcohol in his system began to gradually subside. His head throbbed from the blows to his face that he'd received from the two police officers that he'd challenged earlier that night, and he could tell by the bruises that had appeared on the knuckles of his right hand that he had lost his temper for the first time since he was a young teenager. He'd always been able to conceal his frustration, trying to look on the bright side of a situation rather than letting it get him down. But recently he'd struggled. Recently he'd been thinking about the wasted life he'd led up until this moment.  
He'd spent years slogging away at work, doing more and more overtime, taking on work that was far above his pay grade and with no sense of gratitude from anybody higher than him at work. No thanks from the boss or the boss' boss. Just the same old shifts every night. So giving up had just been the best option. He'd quit. He'd actually quit his job. Something he'd been so passionate about for so long, but recently the spark had gone, and he still couldn't put his finger on why that was. He looked at the plain walls of his temporary cell, the room he'd been put in to sober up, and he felt nothing. No sense of freedom now that he didn't have work to worry about. No sense of fear or hope for the future, because what future could he possibly have? He wondered if anybody was thinking about him right now…

Nick's ears pricked up as he heard the sound of his cell door open and an officer speak in a low voice: "He's in there." He had no energy to open his eyes let alone look up towards the door, and he heard the sound of somebody step over the threshold, pausing to take a deep intake of breath. Nick knew it was Sara. She was always one for finishing an argument if ever one occurred, and the last time he'd seen her she'd been sitting in the break room with Greg. Nick had stormed out, claiming that he'd quit, that he was done with being a CSI. No doubt Sara had spent the past few hours fuming over their argument, not wanting to leave it with him storming out and having the final word. It wouldn't have been long for the message to have got to her and the rest of the CSI team of Nick's arrest. After all, he _had_threatened to fight two police officers for a bottle of beer - not his finest moment, especially having already drunk several bottles previously.

It was unusual for Sara to remain so quiet though, and after several moments Nick mustered the energy to open his eyes. As he focused his attention on the petite figure at the door of his cell he felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the figure of his one of his closest friend's facing him, her hands stuffed casually into the pockets of her jeans as she leant against the wall, her strawberry blonde hair lolling just past her shoulders. The look on Catherine's face wasn't the sort that Sara would've given him. Catherine looked serious, but soft and sympathetic. Sara would've been unforgiving and harsh, using a tough-love approach to snap him out of the remaining drunken state he was in. But that had never been Catherine's approach with him. As he looked at her face he knew right away that she understood how he was feeling, even when he hadn't told her. Well, not _completely_.

_POLICE OFFICER: One call Stokes. Up to you who it is._

_Nick could feel his balance being tested as the officer before him held out a telephone receiver. He had to count his blessings in some way, it was good of the officer to allow him to let someone know what was going on. He was sure it was something to do with the fact that he was a CSI. Or used to be anyway. Nick took the phone and held a finger up, ready to dial Russell's number, planning on telling his Supervisor what had happened, but before he knew what he was doing Nick had dialled Catherine's number instead. He watched as the officer walked off:_

_ANSWER MACHINE: Hi you've reached Catherine's cell, sorry I can't answer right now. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

_Nick's heart began racing as the alcohol in his blood continued to pump around his body giving him a surge of confidence with his words:_

_NICK: Hey Catherine, it's Nick. Erm…I quit work tonight. I guess you were right after all. It's not worth it. None of it is. I'm kinda being put in a cell overnight. Had a bit of a fight with the police. Long story but…I guess I'll give you a call when I get home tomorrow and tell you about it…if you're free of course…_

_Nick sighed as the thoughts that had gathered in his mind over the weeks since she had left Vegas came to the surface:_

_NICK: …I miss being able to tell you stuff in person. Anyway, hope you're okay. I'll talk to you soon. Bye._

CATHERINE: So the officer tells me you got into a fight over beer?

NICK: My last beer…

Just to hear her voice was enough to put him at ease and he watched as she shook her head slightly in disbelief. She looked quite tired, but more relaxed since she'd left for Virginia. She'd mentioned to him on the day that she'd left CSI that her hours were going to be more sociable. Nick watched as an officer arrived at the door holding a plastic bag that contained his cell and car keys inside and Catherine took it gratefully, signing a sheet of paper that the officer had held out to her. As the officer stepped aside, Catherine held her empty hand out and Nick hesitated as his eyes looked into hers, a small smile appearing on her face as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

CATHERINE: Come on…lets get you home.

Nick nodded, staggering as he stood up quickly and he watched as Catherine placed one of her small arms around his waist. The odds of her petite frame supporting his heavy muscular body were unrealistic, but it was her presence and the feel of her that supported Nick more than anything as he began to focus clearly on walking with her. He didn't approve of the looks the officers kept giving her as they left, as if to say 'good luck with him!' but Catherine had continued to keep the pace up, presumably intent on getting him home as soon as possible, giving Nick no opportunity to talk back at them.

* * *

**Just a little new fic idea I had after seeing the season 13 premier of CSI.  
I wondered if it would've all been different if Catherine had been the one to pick him up.  
****This won't be a long fic, after all I've been rubbish at updating my other fics due to a major lack of free time to daydream some more chapters.  
****Expect another chapter or two after this :) let me know if you like it!**


	2. Home Sweet Home

Catherine walked up the garden path whilst reaching into her jeans pocket and pulled out the door keys that she'd stuffed into her pocket after leaving the police station forty five minutes ago. Her left arm was still wrapped around Nick's waist as his arm remained around her shoulders since the moment they'd got out of the car, but he seemed to be walking better than he had done in the police station. Clearly the alcohol was wearing off. As they approached the front of the little house that lay on a quiet neighbourhood, she reached out and placed the key in the lock and twisted it, remembering to lift the key a little as it turned, something she'd learned to do with Nick's front door back in the day. Using the full force of her hip, she shunted the door open and the two adults practically staggered into the hallway due to the surprise of the door giving way to Catherine's firm approach.

CATHERINE: Home sweet home.

She looked up at Nick as she closed the front door behind them, giving it a little kick to get the door to close completely up. It hadn't ever been able to close properly without a bit of brute force. He really needed to get it fixed. Catherine watched the man before her look over with a small sad smile, reaching up to his face and wincing slightly as his fingers touched upon the open wound above his eyebrow. Even after several hours the cut above his eyebrow and his split lip clearly hadn't began to heal and Catherine became worried that they may turn infected. To her surprise Nick began to walk towards the staircase:

CATHERINE: Where do you think you're going?

She watched as he turned towards her and furrowed his brow. Even in the dim light that came from the streetlamps outside, his dark brown eyes glistened and she couldn't help feeling sympathy towards the man who looked as though he had no energy to keep going in life. As though he'd come to a dead end and was ready to give up. He shrugged, shaking his head slightly as though he were lost for words and Catherine reached over to a bowl that stood on a little table beside the door, placing the door keys in it. The table had always been there. So had the bowl. And the keys had always gone in there too. She motioned towards the kitchen with her head, her voice remaining calm but firm. She was going to patch him up before he went to bed whether he liked it or not.

CATHERINE: Kitchen. Now.

Catherine took the executive decision to lead the way, and began to slowly walk in the direction of the door that she knew revealed the location of the kitchen. She felt herself yawn as her feet carried her one step at a time. She'd been awake for almost twenty four hours, not the longest time she'd been awake before of course, but the longest time for several months. She was never going to tell Nick that he'd disrupted her evening because she hadn't really thought about it until now.

_Catherine sat at a little round table in a bar around the corner from her work. She'd been in Virginia for almost two months now and couldn't believe she was already on a date. Lindsay had been right, it wouldn't take someone long to notice her, and to her surprise that someone was the owner of the bar she was currently in. He sat opposite her, looking at her with a smile on his face as he placed a cocktail in front of her and she smiled back at him. Graham Anderton. He was tall, dark, handsome and a little older than her. Here she was, a fresh start in a new state, with a new job and from the looks of things the potential of a new man. She couldn't count the amount of dates she'd gone on in her lifetime. She had a habit of dating the bad guys, the ones that were always rough around the edges, and if they weren't rough then they were stubborn or too similar to her. This wasn't a serious date of course, how could it be if she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a nice top, her coat lolling on the back of her chair, her body having still not adjusted to the change in temperature moving from a desert area to a coastal area._

_GRAHAM: So tell me a bit about yourself._

_CATHERINE: Well, as you know I moved here not so long ago. A big step you know, because Vegas is really all I've known. But I figured my daughter's escaped to go to college so my life is my own again. I can make my own decisions. I can essentially go wherever I want to. So I was offered this job and thought 'why not'._

_As Catherine ended her sentence she heard her cell ringing but she tried to ignore it, focusing on Graham's response as he took a sip of his beer, then took hold of her hand whilst the ringtone continued._

_GRAHAM: You're so lucky to have been given that opportunity. Everyone deserves the chance to make their own decisions at some point in their lives…_

_The ringing continued and Catherine glanced down at her small clutch bag on the table, knowing full well that her cell was inside causing a bit of a commotion. She wondered who it was ringing her at this time in the evening. It wasn't Lindsay that was for sure, she usually called late afternoon before getting ready to go out for dinner or to a party. Her work never called in the evenings, a small luxury of the new job, and it wasn't her mom because it was almost 1am in Vegas-_

_GRAHAM: Do you want to answer it?_

_Catherine quickly looked back into the nervous eyes of the man opposite her who looked from her to the bag just as her cell rang off. She realised she hadn't been listening to a word he had been saying and she felt terrible for it. She just couldn't imagine who would be calling her at this time of night._

_CATHERINE: No. Sorry, go on…_

_GRAHAM: Erm…right…well like I was saying people don't get a lot of opportunities to do things spontaneously, to do things that they really want to do, to just live for the moment and-_

_His sentence was cut short and Catherine felt the ground swallow her up slightly as her cell rang again, this time to notify her of a voicemail that had been left by the mystery caller. Catherine desperately wanted to see who it was, but at the same time she couldn't simply interrupt Graham any more than he'd already been interrupted._

_GRAHAM: Please, just answer it, somebody clearly wants to contact you._

_Catherine let go of his hand and unclipped the bag before pulling her cell out. As she stared at the screen she furrowed her brow. One missed call and a voicemail message from an unknown number. Who could possibly be desperate enough to call her at this time of the evening and leave a message? If it were anyone who knew her then their caller id would've appeared on the screen. _

_CATHERINE: Erm…do you mind if I just listen to this message?_

_She watched as Graham nodded, sitting back as she brought the phone up to her ear. Her stomach flipped and her heart rate increased as she heard the familiar southern drawl that she'd missed so much since moving:_

_NICK: Hey Catherine, it__'__s Nick. Erm__…__I quit work tonight. I guess you were right after all. It__'__s not worth it. None of it is. I__'__m kinda being put in a cell overnight. Had a bit of a fight with the police. Long story but__…__I guess I__'__ll give you a call when I get home tomorrow and tell you about it__…__if you__'__re free of course__…__I miss being able to tell you stuff in person. Anyway, hope you__'__re okay. I__'__ll talk to you soon. Bye._

_Catherine had already grabbed her bag and had shuffled to the edge of her seat, looking over at Graham who was watching her with a concerned look on his face. God knows what she looked like but right now, as she threw her phone into her bag, she realised she didn't care . Nick had been arrested?! What had happened? He sounded drunk and hurt and…lost. _

_GRAHAM: Is everything okay?_

_CATHERINE: Er…yes…no…Graham, I have to go. I'm sorry._

_She wrapped her coat around her shoulders and stood up from her seat as she swung her bag over her arm. She had her purse, she had her keys, she had her cell and right now she didn't need anything else. But Nick…right now Nick needed her. She needed to get a taxi to the airport then a plane over to Vegas, and quick. Graham had stood up, looking somewhat bewildered and a little annoyed._

_GRAHAM: I heard a man's voice. This isn't the part where you tell me you're married or engaged?_

_CATHERINE: It's complicated. Sorry Graham, we'll have to do this again soon. I'll let you know when I'm back._

_GRAHAM: Back? Back from where?_

It's complicated. _Complicated_?! Where had she got that from? She and Nick were far from complicated. She regarded Nick as her closest friend. They had been through so much together as colleagues over the years, and so much together as individuals outside of work that Catherine found it impossible to imagine her life without Nick. She looked over her shoulder to see the tall figure of her friend following her, the dim light fortunately behind him so she couldn't see his battered face. The first time she'd seen it earlier had been such a shock to her she almost wanted to cry. But as she pushed the door of the kitchen open and switched on the light she let out a little gasp as her eyes took hold of the room before her.

* * *

**Could've gone further but realized I said I'd do some short chapters so here's another short(ish) chapter.  
****Thanks for the feedback everyone, hadn't expected people to be like me and wonder what would've happened if Catherine had been in the Season Premier too :)  
****Next chapter will be along soon and will possibly be the last one..it's flashback-dependent I think..**


	3. First Aid Kit

Catherine looked at the little kitchen that lit up, with what she could only presume were lights that turned on using motion sensors, her tired eyes wide with amazement as she took in every detail. The last time she'd been here the cupboards and work surfaces had been shabby, the walls had been a dark blue color that had made the room seem so dim and there had been three pokey windows on the wall. Now the walls were a pale yellow color and Catherine could only imagine how beautifully light it looked during the daytime, not only because of the color but also because of the huge windows that were set as though they were a wall in themselves. Catherine found herself walking further into the room, around a little island in the middle, her arm reaching out to delicately trace a finger across the surface of the shiny new fridge. Nick had had a dirty looking second hand fridge that had stood in the corner of the room with contents inside that Catherine had been forced on many an occasion to throw out because they were out of date. Those occasions had always been a strong reminder of how much younger Nick was than her, leading her to always ask herself that if he couldn't even take responsibility of keeping some food in date what else could he not take responsibility for?

NICK: You like it?

Catherine turned her head towards the door to see Nick standing with his hands on his hips as he always did when waiting for an answer. He had a soft smile on his face and she could tell her reaction had been the type that he'd been wanting to see. Her smile spread wider across her face as she nodded:

CATHERINE: I love it.

Nick watched as the woman before him turned and peered out of the windows, the dark early hours of the morning not revealing a lot of the garden other than the odd hedge or plant that were lit up by small lights that he'd placed there over the summer.

NICK: I did it for you.

The words had left his mouth before he'd thought them through and he watched as the woman before him froze. He could see her reflection in the window looking back at him, her smile having faded. As she turned, her face flickered slightly whilst she seemingly focused her attention on her hands and Nick took this time to walk over to a bar stool that stood beside the little island that was a barrier between the two adults for the moment. As he eased himself onto the seat, Nick winced, whilst a pain seared in his arm from the defensive wound he'd sustained earlier that evening.

Catherine hadn't known quite how to answer his last comment. He'd done it for her? What did he mean by that? Through the corner of her eye she noticed him move towards the island and her gaze moved up to the figure of the man before her as he sat on one of the bar stools clearly in pain. She was here for one reason and that was for him, to help patch him up. By a force of habit Catherine turned to the cupboard on her left, pulled on the new looking handle and peered into it. Her hand grabbed hold of a box and she took it out of the cupboard leaning against the work surface as she lifted the lid.

CATHERINE: Good to see you still keep the first aid kit in the same place.

Nick nodded, a small smile on his face as he watched her pour some warm water into a small bowl that sat beside the sink. As she made her way slowly over to him, he noticed her pull out a packet of cotton wool and some steri-strips.

NICK: Yeah, it was usually me who had to use it on you, remember?

CATHERINE: I remember.

Her words fell quietly out of her mouth, still retaining a stab of pain as she presumably recalled the memory. Back in the day it hadn't been unusual for Catherine to be at Nick's house with a cut or two to her face or hands or knees, or bumps or bruises. Catherine had always called it the curse of having a violent husband and Nick had always welcomed her into his home. Sometimes she'd brought Lindsey with her, sometimes she hadn't, depending on the time of day and if Lindsey were with her Grandmother or not. As Catherine tugged a piece of cotton wool off and dipped it into the warm water she thought back on many of the memories this house held, some good, some bad.

_Catherine tapped on the front door gently, hoping, praying that he was home. She held Lindsey in her arms, the three year old sleeping soundly on her shoulder. Catherine placed her car keys in her jeans pocket and rocked the child gently, each movement causing a sharp pain on the left side of her stomach. She'd known Nick for a few years, long enough to know that he was much like her, that on his day off he still stayed up during the night to keep his body clock in check. To her relief she saw the hallway light flicker on and the door creak open gently. Catherine knew what she looked like, having checked her reflection in the window of her car door as she'd pulled Lindsey out, but Nick's reaction was enough to tell her that she looked as bad as she'd feared._

_NICK: Catherine. Are you okay? Come in._

_She didn't need asking twice and stepped over the threshold as Nick stooped down to pick up the bag she had with her. She paused in the hallway as the man closed the door behind them, locking it tightly, before turning to her, his eyes barely able to tear themselves away from the cuts and bruises she had to her swollen face at that moment._

_CATHERINE: I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go._

_She could feel the tears in her eyes as she clung to her daughter who had no idea what had happened at home between her parents. Catherine felt Nick smooth a hand across her back, his soft southern accent providing her with an ounce of comfort. She was safe, she knew she was._

_NICK: Hey hey…don't you worry about that I'm here. You came to the right place._

_Catherine watched as Nick motioned to the stairs and she began climbing them carefully, trying not to wake her daughter, before taking a left at the top and walking towards a door that creaked open when she pushed her foot against it._

This had been the third time this month she'd escaped to Nick's with Lindsey. Every time she had an argument with her husband, Eddie, over his drinking or gambling or her ridiculous shift patterns or the way Lindsey was behaving when she wasn't around, Eddie had a habit of getting a bit too carried away and ended up lashing out at Catherine. It hurt. It always hurt. But it was better that he did it to her than to their daughter. Their poor innocent daughter. And as soon as Eddie left the house after each argument, to go to a bar or strip club or casino or wherever else Catherine had the feeling he went to, she would pack a small overnight bag, scoop Lindsey out of her little bed, tuck her into the car and drive over to Nick's. A place Catherine deemed as her safe house. The place Eddie knew nothing about because he rarely came home sooner than 12 hours after any of their arguments, which gave Catherine time enough to drop Lindsey off at her Mom's and go to work.

Catherine tip-toed into the little room, placing Lindsey into the single bed and pulling the pink duvet over her daughter's body before stepping back. She spent a moment staring at her little girl, hardly believing all that they had been through together so far. She'd always known Eddie was a hot-head, and she usually gave as good as she could get. But over the past year he'd taken to beating her and Catherine had had more sick days from work due to the consequences than she'd had in her entire lifetime.

She watched Nick walk into the bedroom, picking a teddy bear out of the overnight bag and placing it beside Lindsey, who cuddled up to it almost automatically in her sleep. Catherine couldn't help the small smile that crept into the corner of her mouth, no matter how painful it was. Lindsey had become quite attached to Nick recently. It wasn't that she saw him frequently, but more to do with the way he interacted with the three year old. He always told her stories, chased her around the park, bought her favourite breakfast to keep at his house just in case she ever visited with her mother. Catherine couldn't quite believe the trouble Nick had gone to, buying pink sheets for the bed in the little spare room of his house just for the three year old. It wasn't that Eddie didn't make Lindsey happy, it was how much he made their daughter happy that aggravated Catherine the most, but it was the fact that he didn't make his own wife happy which was the problem. Catherine knew it. She knew that staying with him for the sake of their daughter's happiness really wasn't the way to go. Her mother had always told her that if she left Eddie now Lindsey would never really remember a time when her parents were together so would never really be unhappy.

Catherine felt her hand being taken and she looked up to the man who stood beside her, holding her hand gently as he looked down at her daughter. This had just sort of happened out of the blue. She'd never thought of Nick in a romantic way. Sure, over the past five years that they'd been working together she'd spent occasional moments thinking about how handsome he was. How she walked with a bit more confidence if she was entering a crime scene beside him, almost looking daggers at other women that dared to give him a flirtatious smile. At the beginning of the year she'd gone to his house warming/new years party and had happened to have drunken a few too many beers. Before long she'd confessed to Nick that if she hadn't been married she would've totally dated him. Who would've thought that seven months down the line she'd be turning to him at any given moment for support whenever Eddie's anger went too far?

_Catherine followed Nick down the staircase and stepped into the lounge whilst he walked through to the kitchen. She sighed as she sat back into the sofa, thinking back on the argument she'd had with Eddie not so long ago. Her thoughts were interrupted as Nick perched on the edge of the coffee table opposite her, a small plastic box in one hand and a bowl of warm water in the other. This wasn't the first time he'd had to clean her wounds and she hated to say that it probably wouldn't be the last._

_Moments later he'd cleaned her up nicely, the icepack had brought her swollen cheek down, the cotton wool had removed the visible blood that had dried onto the corner of her lip, and she'd explained to him everything that had happened earlier that evening between she and Eddie._

_NICK: I've set my bed up for you whenever you're tired. I'll kip down here._

_Catherine had spent the past ten minutes staring into his deep brown eyes. So soft and caring. Why was he always so nice to her? He always let her in, he always took care of her, he always gave his bed up to her whenever she came around. Why couldn't her husband be more like him? Why couldn't her husband __be__ him? She felt his hand reach up and stroke a drop of water from her cheek and his touch sent a warm sensation down her body. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself leaning towards him, her lips slowly closing around his. Her eyes drew shut as she felt her breathing increase along with Nick's. Their kiss was better than she'd ever imagined, and after a moment they parted, the look on Nick's face telling her that he was just as shocked at what had just happened as she was._

_CATHERINE: I don't think you should sleep on the sofa tonight._

* * *

**Woah was noooot expecting to write this much nor was I expecting to still have another chapter to add to this story after this..  
****Well if people like it...?**


	4. Typical Bachelor House

_Catherine's eyes flickered open as she heard the bedroom door creak open and a pair of little footsteps patter towards her. She felt a little body clamber up onto the bed and snuggle up to her, and with a small smile Catherine reached an arm out and wrapped it around her daughter, stroking the little girl's long strawberry blonde hair as she did so. Lindsey reached her small hand up to her mother's face and traced a finger gently over the woman's bruised cheek before whispering in a sleepy voice:_

_LINDSEY: What happened to your face Mommy?_

It broke Catherine's heart each time her daughter had to see her in this state, and it didn't get any easier with every lie she told in an attempt to cover it up.

_CATHERINE: Mommy just fell…but don't worry, I'm okay._

_It was always enough to keep the three year old from asking questions. She could tell Lindsey was becoming adjusted to waking up in the spare bedroom of Nick's house. Rather than crying like she had done the first time she'd woken up in the strange house, the little girl just acted as she normally would had she been at home, waking up and running into the other bedroom in search of her mommy, then creeping up into the bed for morning cuddles. As Catherine looked down at her daughter, she could tell her little mind was whirring with thoughts and questions and she hesitated as Lindsey looked down to her mother's waist at the arm that was wrapped around it._

_LINDSEY: Nick give you cuddles?_

_Catherine nodded, stroking back her daughter's fringe as the little girl gave her a small smile. She couldn't have been more right. A few hours earlier Catherine had mistakenly kissed Nick in a moment of madness, telling him that he didn't need to sleep on the sofa overnight, that he could share the bed with her. Catherine had to hand it to her colleague, he was quite the gentleman. After an awkward pause, she had apologised for the kiss and Nick had apologised for not wanting to take it any further, explaining that they were both tired and she was in an incredibly venerable state. Soon she found herself on Nick's bed, his warm protective arms wrapped around her as she curled up with him, fully clothed. They chatted about their lives, from their childhoods and upbringing to their hopes and aspirations for the future. Catherine couldn't remember falling asleep and couldn't tell how much sleep she'd had, but all she knew right now was that she felt safe and content curled up on this very bed, with her three year old daughter and her close friend._

_LINDSEY: I'm hungry._

_Catherine smiled, looking down at the little girl as the popular words fell out of her mouth. She felt the man behind her begin to stir and Lindsey's eyes lit up as she gasped, excited at the thought that Nick might be awake. _

_NICK: Did I hear someone say they were hungry?_

_Catherine watched as her daughter sat up quickly and peered over her mother's body at the man on the other side of the bed. The woman turned onto her back as the three year old leaned on her to get a better view of Nick who rubbed his eyes sleepily with a little sigh._

_LINDSEY: Me! Nick I'm hungry!_

_Catherine looked over at her friend who had a huge smile on his face as he watched the child stare at him eagerly. The woman's mind began to wander as she looked at her daughter and Nick, and before long she was telling herself off for thinking that this was what it would be like if they were a little family. If Nick was Lindsey's father and they woke up all together like this every morning. She was tired. It was just a momentary lapse._

_NICK: Well it's a good job I've got your favourite cereal in the cupboard then._

_The little girl squealed slightly in excitement, grabbing Nick's hand and tugging it so he was forced to sit up. After telling Lindsey that he'd race her downstairs, the three year old sped out of the bedroom giving Catherine the opportunity to turn to her friend. He looked over at her with a soft reciprocating smile, wished her a good morning and rolled out of bed before wandering out of the bedroom in search of the little girl who was already halfway down the stairs._

Nick flinched momentarily as Catherine placed a piece of damp cotton wool against the cut on his eyebrow and she apologized, reaching her other hand up to steady his face whilst she continued to clean his wound. It was unusual seeing her for the first time since she'd left. He'd known her for just over twenty years and thought that in that time he'd seen her so much, through working long hard shifts with her, to those times back in the day when she would stay with him from time to time, right through to having drinks with colleagues. He couldn't remember a day over those years when he hadn't seen her. But the moment she'd gone. From the moment she'd relocated to the other side of the country, Nick realised that he hadn't paid as much attention to her as he thought he had. He knew the color of her eyes of course, how couldn't he? But it had been so long since he'd stared into them, to take in all the tiny individual details, that trying to recall them as he had done on so many occasions over the past few weeks had been incredibly difficult. And it wasn't just her eyes, he'd missed the smell of her perfume, the sound of her heels that had always tapped their way down the corridors as she walked, how secure he felt knowing he was on a shift with her and that any problems he may have he could work with her to solve it. Even making her coffee as he had done often when they'd worked together had become an old past time he craved. Nick had missed it all. He watched as her eyes stared intently at the wound before she innocently glanced into his eyes, then back to the wound again.

NICK: Thanks for coming over. You really didn't have to.

Nick watched as Catherine stepped away, putting the cotton wool down and preparing another bit. Her eyes were on the soft fabric between her fingers but he could tell she was thinking of the conversation as she shrugged a little with a small smile:

CATHERINE: It's nothing.

NICK: It's just…well you took a five hour flight…

Nick watched as Catherine dipped a new ball of cotton wool into the warm water, gently soaked it, then turned back to him with a smile.

CATHERINE: You're worth it.

He watched as she paused, rolling the damp fabric between her fingers as they stared at each other with small smiles. Then with a little shake of her head, Catherine stepped back towards him, held a hand out to position his face again, then placed the fresh piece of cotton wool onto the wound. Nick winced again, knowing full well it was just an involuntary reaction, but his friend continued to plough on, her no-nonsense side beginning to show and he didn't mind.

_Nick waited patiently in the drivers seat of his car. He felt excited and awkward all at the same time. He knew he shouldn't be waiting at the carwash during work hours but Catherine had told him four o'clock and four o'clock it was. This had become one of their usual meeting places, as well as the rooftop at work and sometimes his house. With Lindsey having started at a new kindergarten a couple of months back and Catherine's divorce grinding against rocks, the two rarely had a chance to see each other outside of work. So every-so-often, depending on what sort of day, night or week Catherine had been having, the two of them made plans to sneak off together for an hour or so to satisfy the needs that they both had. After the first time Nick had felt guilty, desperate not to make Catherine feel as though he had taken advantage of her venerability, especially since she'd only just filed for divorce from Eddie. But the woman had been adamant that this was what she needed, what she wanted. Somebody who could be there for her when she needed him, in more ways than one. Nick looked to his left as a hand wiped across the window gently beside him as it's owner skipped in front of the car and round into the passenger seat beside him._

_CATHERINE: Hi._

_NICK: Hi._

_Her voice sounded airy, as though she was just as excited at the thought of risking their jobs by being away from a crime scene and being together instead. There was a pause as Catherine looked at him expectantly. They knew they had a small timeframe. The carwash usually only lasted five minutes or so, but Nick felt obliged to take the opportunity to talk to her properly for the first time that night: _

_NICK: How's Lindsey holding up since you went to Grave?_

_He watched as Catherine shook her head in disbelief, placing a hand over her mouth as she presumably replayed her daughter's reaction in her mind. Catherine had been working shifts that meant she was able to take her daughter to kindergarten in the mornings. But since throwing Eddie out of the house, Catherine was left with no choice but to return to work full time in order to keep her home running and Lindsey in a safe environment. The only option was for Catherine to join the Grave shift full time, which meant her five year old wouldn't get the luxury of her mother dropping her off to kindergarten or tucking her up at bedtime anymore. And from the sounds of things, it hadn't gone down well. Nick felt Catherine reach out and stroke his cheek affectionately continuing to shake her head in disbelief as she furrowed her brow._

_CATHERINE: What are we doing? We're going to hell, I can tell you that right now. You and me, charred!_

_Nick was taken aback by her words. It had been her idea to meet here, her idea to sneak off when nobody would notice. If she was that worried about it why had she suggested they meet up?_

_NICK: You asked me. We don't have to be here, we don't have to do this._

_His mind stopped as he felt her hands take hold of his shoulders and slowly pull him towards her, her eyes staring at him as though she'd already made her mind up, as she brushed her nose affectionately against his._

_CATHERINE: Just knock me into tomorrow Nicky. Make all my problems disappear._

_The feel of her lips pressing against his made Nick body rise in temperature as his arms wrapped their way around her waist and her arms pulled him closer to her. Their breathing increased as their kiss deepened. Suddenly Nick's walkie-talkie sounded from between them and the couple broke apart, both equally disappointed as a voice erupted from the machine:_

_WALKIE-TALKIE: This is Holly Gibbs requesting backup…_

_Nick sat staring in disbelief as their colleague told them her location, and to his dismay Catherine held the device up to her face, hesitating as she responded with a frown on her face, as though she was wondering if anybody would be able to tell if she responded using Nick's walkie-talkie:_

_CATHERINE: Holly, this is Catherine Willows, are you in danger?_

_HOLLIE: Er…we're getting there. Over._

_CATHERINE: Copy that I'm…en-route…_

_Nick smiled with a small nod as Catherine shook her head in disbelief. He was just as disappointed as she was, and with a heavy sigh she muttered under her breath as she leant towards him:_

_CATHERINE: When in Rome…_

_Nick leant forward to relish their final kisses, knowing that most of the time their final kisses would last for a while, both enjoying the passion, excitement and risk of getting caught with each passing minute. But to his surprise Catherine pulled away from the first kiss quickly, pushing him back slightly and sliding out of the car:_

_CATHERINE: Sorry babe._

_Nick sat back in his car seat with a sigh as he watched her race around to her car that she'd parked behind him. She'd seemed much more distant since filing for divorce from Eddie recently and Nick had a feeling that this fling they'd been having was slowly coming to an end. The thing is he didn't want it to end. He'd hoped that once Catherine's divorce was through that perhaps they could start something a bit more serious, because as much as he wanted to tell her, he knew he could never reveal how much he liked her deep down._

CATHERINE: So you said you did this for me… Which bit, the kitchen? The fight?

NICK: No, the fight was definitely for the beer.

Her words were soft and quiet, and Nick could tell it was due to a mix of fatigue from a presumably long day, the dim lights in the room, the close proximity between them, and her need for concentration as she removed the cotton wool from his eyebrow, placed it on the side, and picked up some steri-strips.

NICK: I seem to remember you telling me that no woman would ever want to settle down with me if my kitchen was like this. What was it you said? My house was a-

NICK/CATHERINE: -typical bachelor house.

The two adults giggled as they remembered the conversation they'd had thirteen years ago. It hadn't been an easy conversation at the time, and things had been awkward following, but thanks to time they could now laugh about it. Catherine pulled off a couple of the steri-strips, ready to pull the wound on Nick's eyebrow together.

CATHERINE: Well it was true! Nicky, your kitchen was a state!

NICK: Yeah, so I got it sorted.

He watched as Catherine leaned back over to him, placing the steri-strips gently, one by one, across his eyebrow. He took an intake of breath and smelt her perfume. It was the only perfume he'd ever known her to wear since the very first day they'd met.

NICK: I sorted my kitchen for you. I guess I hoped that if I did that, you'd change your mind. But I was wrong…

CATHERINE: Nicky…

Her voice was quiet and she stared at his sad face. She placed the final part of the steri-strip on his eyebrow and brought her hands down to her side hopelessly. She'd never meant to hurt him. But it was easy to say that now thirteen years on. They had twenty years of history together, four of which they'd held an on-off affair. It had never occurred to her that Nick had been so passionate about the whole thing, that he'd been so serious about her. To her he'd been a shoulder to cry on, someone to help her relieve stress, to add an exciting, risky dimension to her life, not someone new to settle down with. He'd been so young, with his whole career ahead of him, and she'd been in the midst of a divorce. She'd needed time to sort her life out, to sort Lindsey out into a routine that suited the five year old, which was a challenge in itself. Even with the security she'd felt with Nick, at the time she hadn't really been as far as to say she'd been 'in love' with him.

_Catherine pulled open the fridge door with a yawn and groaned as a strong smell that she could only presume was some out-of-date cheese emanated from within. She reluctantly reached into the tattered fridge, pulling out a bowl that had the rancid cheese in it, and chucked it onto the cluttered work surface beside her. So Nick wasn't the tidiest man in the world but what man was? But this was the third time in a row she'd been into this fridge and found rotting food within the space of two months. Catherine looked at the carton of milk, hesitating slightly as she prayed it wasn't the same carton of milk that had been there two weeks previously when she'd last stayed over. As she unscrewed the lid her stomach turned as a loud growl uttered out of her mouth and she chucked the carton dramatically into the sink as Nick walked into the kitchen:_

_CATHERINE: Nicky! Why do you bother buying food if you're not going to eat it?!_

_She watched as Nick furrowed his brow and raised his hands defensively as she yelled at him but she didn't have the patience to joke around. She'd had a stressful week juggling work, adjusting to being a single mother and attempting to complete the final stages of her divorce that had been going much longer than she'd anticipated. And the lack of sleep due to the worry of everything hadn't helped matters._

_NICK: Woah Catherine, calm down. You know I'm not home a lot._

_CATHERINE: That's no excuse! Nicky if you're not going to drink milk, don't buy milk, just use the milk at work! If you're going to have cheese, buy a small pack not a whole block!_

_She pointed angrily at the bowl of mouldy cheese trying to make a point, but the young man before her didn't seem apologetic at all. He didn't get it. How didn't he get it?! Catherine couldn't understand how a man in his late twenties could still be living this way. He'd been living in this house for a few years now and had always maintained that he was going to redecorate and update it a bit, but so far he'd done nothing to show that he would do any of it. He'd once joked that the two of them could one day be married and have several children of their own and Catherine had been doubtful then, but now… well now that definitely didn't seem plausible. If he couldn't take care of his own home and take responsibility of keeping food in date then what else would he struggle to take care and responsibility of?_

_CATHERINE: I can't do this anymore._

_NICK: What?_

_She watched as Nick's face fell, his brow furrowing as his chest began to rise and fall quickly, a sign that he was beginning to panic. But she couldn't continue this fling. It was an added pressure to her already hectic life. Sure it had been fun to begin with, but recently she'd felt as though Nick had wanted more. As though he might be falling for her, something she'd forced him to promise that he wouldn't do when they first began sleeping together. She couldn't handle the responsibility of splitting herself into another segment to give to him like she'd given a segment of herself to her daughter and work already. It was bad enough she was unable to see Lindsey as much as before. It was bad enough that she'd been so frustrated and wound up at work the previous day that she'd insisted on leaving Lindsey at her Mom's while she stayed at Nick's. But the moldy cheese and milk had been the final nail in the coffin. She just couldn't do it anymore. She needed to focus on Lindsey and work. She knew she couldn't commit to Nick in the way that he wanted her to and she felt guilty about it. She wanted him to move on, to find someone who could love him completely, someone for him to dote upon publicly not secretly._

_CATHERINE: It's over. I'm sorry Nicky, it was never going to work._

_NICK: Catherine…_

_Catherine began to walk out of the kitchen and towards her handbag that sat on the table beside the front door. She stuck her hand in the large bowl on top, fishing out her car keys, and hooking her arm through the handles of her handbag._

_NICK: …listen if this is about the kitchen then I'm sorry! I'll fix it, I promise, I'll re-do it. I'll make it bigger, and clearer and-_

_CATHERINE: It's not the kitchen Nick._

_Catherine stooped down to put her shoes on as Nick stood beside her, staring in shock and desperation at her words and actions. She'd never wanted to hurt him. Nick was the nicest guy she knew and that was why she had to leave him. Nothing good ever happened to her, so for as long as he was with her he was in danger of getting hurt. It was better that she did it now rather than leaving him disappointed in years to come._

_NICK: Then the food. I swear I'll do better. I wont get anything unless I'm home properly for a good couple of days I promise!_

_CATHERINE: I'm sorry Nicky. I'm not at work for a couple of weeks now so…I guess I'll see you when I get back._

_And with one last sigh, Catherine turned to the front door of the little house, tugging the stiff door open firmly, before stepping out into the fresh winter air. As she made her way down the garden path her stomach dropped and she felt sick. She'd split up with plenty of men in the past, more recently her own husband, but she'd never felt like this before and she wasn't sure why. All that was etched into her memory was the look of disappointment on Nick's face as he'd watched her leave._

Catherine watched as Nick's face dropped as he looked from her eyes down to his hands. She knew he remembered every part of that fateful morning, and for the first time she realized that it may have been the end of his world. At the time she hadn't once considered what consequences her actions may have had on him, just what she needed to do for her. Catherine brought a hand back up to his cheek to try and draw his gaze to her eyes again but it didn't work.

NICK: Well, thanks for this. I'll kip down here if you want my room.

She watched as Nick stood up, swaying for a moment with the rush of blood to the head, then turn to make his way to the door. But Catherine reached out and grabbed his arm, watching as the man before her paused. Even after the end of their affair Nick had treated her fairly. Over the years he had become her closest friend, he'd failed in romance as much as she had, she'd seen him at his worst and vice versa. He'd never forgotten Lindsey's birthday, even going as far as buying her an iPod for her eighteenth a few months earlier. When she'd appointed him as her Assistant Supervisor they'd become an unstoppable team, running the Grave shift as equals more than anything. He'd always stuck up for her and she'd endeavored to stick up for him. She would even go as far to say that they'd got to the point where they could read each others minds and they were once nicknamed 'Mom and Dad of the Grave Shift'. She knew the way Nick protected himself from getting hurt was to walk away from a conversation if needs be, and in a fleeting moment of desperation she caved:

CATHERINE: I was on a date with a guy this evening.

She hadn't intended on telling him this, but she wanted to be honest with him. She wanted to show him just how much he meant to her. She watched as Nick turned back to face her and words continued to flow softly out of her mouth:

CATHERINE: He was a really nice guy. Owned a nice bar. Had a great outlook on life and I'll be honest I had a feeling I might be meeting up with him again.

NICK: So you'll be wanting to go home then…

Nick turned back and slowly started to walk towards the kitchen door, but Catherine continued, her heart ramming against her rib cage as she revealed her deepest secret. One she'd been unknowingly holding for many years:

CATHERINE: Well that's just it… you see, it wasn't until I heard your voice on my phone message that I realized just how much I missed you.

Nick stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. Catherine could see his eyebrows rise and she could tell it was a sign that he was taking in every word that she spoke. So she continued as she began to slowly walk towards him, her eyes remaining locked with his:

CATHERINE: So I got in a cab and went straight to the airport before I even thought twice about it. And it wasn't until I was on the plane and in the air that I realized actually, I don't want to go on another date with him. I don't want to go on another date with anybody. Because they're not you, Nicky. They're not you.

Catherine paused a meter away from her closest friend, the person who had been under her nose this whole time, who had always loved and protected her, who had stood by her when times were tough, who had always been there to pick up the pieces, who knew her almost as well as she knew herself. The person who she realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

CATHERINE: And I know it's probably too late. That I ruined it all thirteen years ago but-

Catherine felt the air knock out of her lungs as her sentence was interrupted by Nick's lips that swooped in on hers. Her heart continued to race as he wrapped his large arms around her waist and her hands wound their way up to his neck and hair as their kiss deepened. It was the most passionate, meaningful kiss she'd experienced in her entire life and as the adults pulled their heads away from each other they both smiled.

NICK: You haven't ruined anything.

* * *

******I always was a rambler... over 4500 words in my 'short chapter' story... sorry!**

So for those of you who are no strangers to the pairing of Nick & Catherine you'll already know that the flashback I used where the two of them met in the carwash during their shift one night is actually a scene that was deleted from the pilot episode back in the day. You can find it on YouTube if you search "Nick & Catherine CSI deleted scene" I just thought I'd give it a deeper meaning :)

Well that's it for now. I've got a little epilogue lined up which I'll post sometime soon.  
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback everyone :) Who know's, there may be some more episodes coming up this season that inspire me again!


	5. Epilogue

**Yes, this is the epilogue to my 'what if' story, but many of you will recognise this as the scene from last week's CSI: Season 13 Episode 5 "Play Dead" (around 2 mins before the end)**

Epilogue

_CATHERINE: So is he going to be alright?_

Nick sat on the edge of the seat in the vet's waiting room, his cell phone held up against his ear as he had called Catherine to update her on how his shift had been. They aimed to speak to each other at least once a day, which wasn't easy with the time difference between West Coast and East Coast. But three months on since that night she flew over to tend to him, they had managed to hold a healthy relationship with daily calls and a visit every two weeks from one or the other. Tonight's shift had been an unusual experience, taking care of a police dog who's trainer had died under suspicious circumstances. Nick had tracked down the killer along with the dog, but as the killer turned his gun on Nick, the dog jumped the guy, getting shot in the process. Now it was a matter of waiting to see if the vet could do anything about the gun shot wound.

NICK: I don't know I'm still waiting. He's been in there a couple of hours.

_CATHERINE: You've been up for so long Nicky, you should get some rest._

NICK: No, no, I'm okay.

Nick turned to see a figure walking towards him. He recognised it as one of the police officers who had introduced him to Sam the dog. Nick's heart stopped for a moment, half wanting to run away and never have to find out if it was bad news. He had to admit he'd really bonded with the old dog.

NICK: Hey, listen I've got to go, I'll call you back okay?

_CATHERINE: Okay, bye._

NICK: Bye.

Nick stood up quickly as he placed his phone back in his pocket. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this nervous about hearing some news and had to admit, many people would find it ridiculous that he felt this way about a dog that wasn't even his.

NICK: So… How's he doing?

OFFICER: Sam made it through surgery.

NICK: And…

OFFICER: Vet says he's going to be okay.

A rush of relief washed over Nick's body as a smile wiped onto his face. Nobody deserved to live more than that dog did right now, he owed him big time for saving his life.

NICK: Wow, that's good. I didn't even know Sam had been shot! He just kept going.

OFFICER: That's Sam for you.

Nick watched as a vet wheeled Sam out on a flat surface, the dog lay low as his eyes looked up at Nick and the man's heart melted at the sight of the animal's deep puppy-dog eyes.

NICK: Here he is. Hey, how you doing boy? Huh?

Nick leaned towards the dog, bringing out a hand to stroke the scruff of his neck, and he lowered his voice as Sam continued to look up at him.

NICK: You did it Sam, you caught Mike's killer. He's going to prison for a very long time. We got some justice. But don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear me?

Nick smiled as he watched the dog lick it's lips, and took it as a sign that Sam had understood what he had said. That there was now an understanding between the two of them. Nick looked up as he heard the officer begin to speak:

OFFICER: You know, Sam was going to retire at the end of the year, spend the rest of his days with Nelson just being a dog. Nelson didn't have any family so Sam's going to need a new home.

Nick paused for a moment as he took in what had been said. The thought that this dog may not have anywhere to go broke his heart, and as the officer looked at him, he realised what was being suggested.

NICK: Well, I guess he could come live with me.

OFFICER: That'd be nice.

NICK: What do you say Sam? I'll take good care of you.

Nick leaned back down towards the dog, looking at him in a different way. Sam was going to become his. He was going to move in. The house would finally begin to feel like a home and it would be nice to have company during the day when he was away from work.

NICK: Now there's going to be a few rules okay? No drinking out of the toilet. We watch football on Sunday's and we're rooting for the cowboys.

Nick watched the dog lift it's head up curiously. Maybe he was a football fan already. Sunday's were about to get better, even better than they already were. Not only had he begun to spend every other weekend with Catherine, but now they would have a dog to take out on walks together, like older couples seemed to do. Nick took a good look at the dog. She was really going to like him and he could tell Sam was really going to like her. Just…one more rule…

NICK: And when my girlfriend's over, you've got to sleep on the floor alright. Is that a deal?

Nick laughed as the dog leaned up and licked his face. He already loved this dog, bringing him home to give him the best retirement a dog could possibly have made Nick very happy. And the idea that, at some point, he and Catherine would be taking care of this dog together gave Nick the feeling that his life was slowly beginning to feel complete.

* * *

**Until next time :)**


End file.
